License button and fastener therefor



LICENSEBUTTON AND FASTENER THEREFOR File d Mar ch 19, 1929" w. F. BLACKBURN 1,750,772 Y Patented Mar. 18,1930

WILLIAM F. BLACKBURN, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH-CAROLINA LICENSE BUTTON AND FASTENER THEREFOR Application filed March 19, 1929. Serial No. 348,258.

This invention relates to badgcs or buttons used as badges and to means whereby the fact that the button has actually been used can be indicated so that the button cannotbe reused, and particularly to buttons used as hunting or fishing badges.

Under the laws of many of'the States, all hunting licenses must be in the form of a but-- ton conspicuously displayed by the hunter. It is particularly necessary that they shall be securely but detachably held upon the coat or other garment and that when they have been once used, they should be practically cancelled or made of no use thereafter so that if the button be lost by one person, it may not be used by another, or the button cannot be turned back to the issuing ofiice as having been unusued.

The general object of the invention is to provide a button of this character which fulfills these requirements.

My button is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein 2- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a button badge or shield constructed inv accordance with my invention with the button attaching device unbroken;

Fig. 2 shows the construction as in Fig. 1 but with the button attachin device broken off and applied tothe tang of the button;

Fig. 3 is a section through the button showing the wire forming the button tang and the buttonattaching device as in Figure 1.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the button or badge which is designated. generally 10 is illustrated as of that form wherein there are a front plate or disk 11 of celluloid or like material and a disk 12 of metal having a rim 13 and that the celluloid formin the face of the button is brought over this flange 13 or crimped thereon so as to be practically undetachable therefrom; This is an ordinary and common form of hunting badg e or button and, of course, the face of the button has printed thereon the number of the license, the State issuing the license and the year for which the license was granted or something to this effect.

So far, I have described the ordinary button or badge which may be attached in many different Ways to the clothing of the hunter, but as before remarked, difliculty has been met with in providing an attaching device which will positively hold the button in place and yet permit it to be removed when desired and will provide means for showing that the button has been used so that the button cannot bereturned to the issuing ofiice as unused.

My invention consists in the provision of a fastening device formed of wire. The wire as shown in Figure 1 has a relatively straight ing in the rim on the celluloid sheet 10 and ex-' portion 14 which extendsthrough an opentends diametrically across between the disk 12 and the celluloid sheet 11.

This Wire intermediate its length is bent to form a loop 15 which extends through a slot 16 formed in the plate 12. Beyond this loop 15, the wire is bent around as at 17 so that the wire is held from turning or axially rotating. The wire 14 outward of the rim of the button is bent'into approximately the form of a cotter pin as at 18 and initially proj ects out beyond the button as shown in F igure 1. When this button is to be used by applying it to a coat, the cotter pin 18 is detached by either cutting the Wire at its junction with the rim or by working the wire back and forth until the cotter pin breaks off and then the shank or loop 15 is inserted through an opening in the cloth of the coat and the cotter pin compressed and inserted through the loop 15, and then the legs of the cotter pin part are spread apart thereby holding the loop 15 firmly in place. I do not wish to be limited to the form of the cotter pin 18 as other forms of engaging devices might be used in place oft e cotter pin form, but the point is that in my construction, the button attaching device 18 is initially formed as part of the button itself and is then wrung off or twisted ofi' orbroken off and used to fasten the button or badge to the cut.

The only purpose of the portion 17 is to hold this wire from rocking and thus prevent any retraction of the loop 15 through the slot 16 and to hold this wire 14 from rocking movement while the fastening device 18 is being detached. It will be obvious that with a ing device 18 has been detached from the badge or button automatically cancels this badge or button to the extent that it cannot be returned to the issuing office as unused which would require the repayment of the license fee to the presenter of the unused badge.

At the. same time, means are provided for holding the button in place against any accidental detachment from the coat.

It will be seen that this device is very simple, that'it may be readily made, but it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be'limited to the particular construction of the button or badge itself as this forms no part of the invention itself except that the back plate of the button must be formed with a-slot through which the loop passes.

License buttons are placed with wardens in the respective counties of the State, who in turn place them for sale with various agents throughout their respective counties, receipt,

in trust, being taken therefor. The agent sells the buttons to hunters. The warden visits his agents twice a month and collects for all buttons sold; and, at the end of the hunting season, takes up all buttons that have not been sold and returns them to the issuing ofiice. The warden is charged with the total number of buttons issued to him, and the amount he collects for buttons sold and the unused buttons he returns at the end of the season should balance his account. There is no way of telling now whether a button has been used or not, but with my invention when a party purchases a button he must break off the cotter pin in order to make the button valid for use, and when the cotter pin is broken ofi the button cannotbe returned as not having been used, but must be paid for. In other words an agent cannot lend a hunter one of my buttons and then take it back as being unusued, for to make the button valid for use the cotter pin must be broken off, and when broken off must be paid for.

Of course, a licensee can transfer his license button from one coat to another, but he cannot turn the button back to an agent or the issuing office as being unusued.

I claim 1-- 1. A button badge comprising a body having a front face,-a rear face, means securing said faces together and frangible means projecting partly from said body to indicate that the badge has not been applied to its intended use, said frangible means providing a loop arranged to cooperate with the projecting portion after the removal of the latter from its original position to secure the badge to the clothing of the user.

2. A button badge comprising a front plate, a rear plate having an aperture therein and a wire element having a portion arranged in the space between the plates, and a second portion separable from the first portion and projecting from said space'to indicate that v '3. A button bage comprising a front mem ber, a rear member secured to said front member, said rear member having an aperture therethrough, and a wire member interposed between said front and rear members, said wire member having an outstanding looped portion adapted to extend outwardly through said aperture, said wire member also having a frangible looped portion projecting outwardly of said badge, said frangible portion when separated being adapted to be positioned within said first looped portion.

4. A button badge comprising a pair of plates, one of said plates having an aperture therein, and a wire element interposed between said plates and having a frangible portion positioned outwardly of said plates, said wire element also having an intermediate a loop arranged to coact with the second mentioned portion after the latter is removed from its original position to secure the badge to the clothing of the user.

6. A badge comprising a body, a fran ible 1 element having a portion projecting rom said body to indicate that the badge has not been applied to its intended use, and means carried by said body arranged to coact with said portion after removalof the latter to secure the badge to the clothing of the user.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. BLACKBURN. 

